GraphQL Application Server: 30% Faster Response Times

April 22, 2024 highlighted the transformative impact of Adobe Commerce's GraphQL Application Server, a technology delivering 30% faster API response times. Understanding how this stateful server works and how to leverage it is critical for merchants operating headless or API-heavy architectures.

Why API Performance Matters

API performance directly impacts customer experience. Slower APIs mean slower page loads, higher bounce rates, and worse conversion metrics. For merchants relying on headless architectures, where every piece of content and commerce data flows through APIs, performance optimisation is not optional—it's fundamental to competitiveness.

The Stateful Architecture

Traditional stateless API servers treat every request as independent. The GraphQL Application Server maintains state between requests, remembering information about previous queries and computations. This enables intelligent caching and eliminates redundant work.

For example, if a customer views a product, then adds it to the cart, the server remembers the first request's data. Subsequent requests can reuse this information rather than requerying the database. Across thousands of concurrent requests, this compounding effect delivers substantial performance gains.

Concrete Improvements

Merchants report 30% faster response times across typical e-commerce workloads. This translates to product searches that return results faster, shopping carts that respond instantly to changes, and checkout flows that feel snappy and responsive. These improvements compound to meaningful conversion improvements.

Implementation Approach

The GraphQL Application Server is available with Adobe Commerce 2.4.7 and later. Enabling it is straightforward: configuration changes and environment setup. Adobe provides documentation and support for migration. For merchants operating at scale, the performance gains justify the modest implementation effort.

Headless Commerce Advantages

For headless merchants particularly, API performance is a core competitive advantage. The Application Server levels the playing field, allowing merchants of all sizes to deliver API performance historically reserved for high-budget implementations. This democratises access to world-class performance.